Gate.



No. 634,810. I Patentedvflot. "3,1899. I N. EARLY, In.

GATE.

' (Applimtipn filed July 11, 1899.) (No Model.) I 2 Sheeta-Shaef 2.

114: mums PETERS $0.. morquwo. msumcmu. a. c.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.NOAH EARLY, JR., OF \VARBENSBURG, MISSOURL,

' cATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,810, dated October10, 1899.

i Application filed July 1'7, 1899. Serial No. 724,119. (No model.)

T (0 whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, NOAH EARLY, Jri; a citizen of the United States,residing at Warrensburg, in the. county of Johnson and State ofMissouri, have invented a new and useful- Gate, of which the followingtion.

This invention relates to gates, the object in view-being to provide agate especially :0 adapted for farm purposes and so constructed andarranged in connection with operating mechanism that the gate may beopened and closed by persons traveling on horseback or in vehicleswithout the necessity of such per-' :5 sons dismounting.

The primary object of the invention is to I provide mechanism foropeningand closinga gate which, while reliable in operation, is strongand durable and may be manufactured at a minimum cost. The mechanism bymeans of which the gate is operated is of such a simple character thatit may be readily set up adjacent to any gateway and connected withany-form of hinged gate. The operat- 2 5 ing mechanism also avoidsthe'use of any small and delicate parts which are liable to becomebroken or get out of order, and said mechanism embodies sufficientstrengthand power to enable the gate to be operated in the 0 presence ofhigh winds and under varying adverse conditions. Other objects andadvantages of theinvention will appear in the course of the ensuingdescription. a

The invention consists in gate-operating mechanism embodying severalnovel features and details of construction and arrangement of parts, ashereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, andincorporated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of agateand operating mechanism therefor constructed in accord- I ance withthis invention. Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the operatingmechanism-,looking toward the outside thereof or toward the roadway.Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 4: is an enlarged detailhorizontal section taken in line with the crank-shaft and ratchetwheelshaft. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective is a specificaview-of'theslide-bar, showing the manner in which it is mounted upon the supportingposts. Fig. 6 is a detail vertical section taken longitudinally betweenthe supporting-bars and showing the ratchet-wheel, pawl, pawlcarryingarm, ac. Fig. 7 is adiagrammatic plan view illustrating the relativepositions of the gate, slide-bar, and connections when the gate is open.Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the relation of the same parts when thegate is closed. i Similar numerals of reference designate correspondingparts in allthe figures of the drawings.

In carrying out thepresent invention I employ in connection with themain gate-post.

1, to which the gate is hinged, an auxiliary post 2, set at a distancetherefrom and at the same side of the roadway as the post 1, the posts 1and 2 being arranged in a plane parellel to the roadway andimmediatelyat the side thereof. The gate 3 may be of any usual orpreferred construction and is hinged to the post 1. The preferred formof'hinge consists of a vertical hinge-pin 4, which passes throughknuckles 5 at the upper and lower inner corners of the gate and alsothrough stationary eyes or staples 6, projecting laterally from theposts. Several sets of eyes 6 may be employed in connection with such agate and hinge-pin, so that the gate may be adjusted in height or sethigher or lower, according to the desire of the owner, it beingfrequently desirable upon farms to raise the gate above the ground moreor less for the purpose of enabling small stock to pass thereunder andfor the additional purpose of enabling the gate, to be readily openedand closed in the winter-time when there is an accumulation of snow,ice, doc. I

- I will proceed to describe the operating mechanism by means of whichthe gate may be thrown open or closed by persons while riding in avehicle or upon horseback.

One of the essential elements of the operating mechanism consists of asliding bar 7, which is mounted to reciprocate in suitable hearings onthe posts 1 and 2, the line of said reciprocation of said bar beingsubstantially parallel to the roadway. A convenient way of mounting saidreciprocating bar is to form recesses or mortises 8 in the posts l and2, which mortises are of sufficient depth to receive" the slide-bar7,'so that its outer surface is llush,orsubstantially so,with the outersur faces of the posts, the bar 7 being held in place by means ofkeepers 9, consisting of strips secured at their opposite ends to theposts 1 and 2 above and below the mortises 8, as clearly illustrated inthe drawings. Instead of extending the strips 9 entirely across themortises 8 said strips may be made in two parts, as shown in connectionwith the post 1, the inner adjacent ends of said part projectingsufficiently to overhang the mortise 8. The slide-bar 7 is provided witha laterally-projecting ear 10 upon its outer side or that side whichfaces away from the roadway, said ear being designed for the pivotalconnection thereto of one end of a link 11, the opposite end of which ispivotally connected to the side ear or lug 12 of an arm 13, projectinglaterally from the gate, said arm being preferably constructed from ametal strap bentto form inwardly diverging arms or flanges 14, which aresecured fast to one of the rails of the gate. This forms a rigid andwellbraced arm on the gate, by means of which it is designed to beconnected to the operating mechanism. The link 11 has its outer endoffset and bent downward to bring its extremity 15 into a lower planethan its main body portion, so as to pass over the upper edge of theslide-bar 7 and connect pivotally to the ear 1O thereon.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that when the bar 7is moved longitudinally in one direction the link 11 will be drawnbehind the gate-post 1 and will operate with a pulling action upon thelateral arm of the gate, thereby swinging the gate open until the freeend of the gate strikes against the post 2. When the slide-bar 7 ismoved in the opposite direction, the outer end of the link 11 will becarried in the direction of the post 2, causing said link to operatewith a pushing action upon the lateral arm of the gate, thereby closingthe gate until its outer or free end strikes against the post 16 at theopposite side of the roadway, in connection with which gate-post anysuitable latch mechanism may be employed for holding the gate closed. a

The shifting mechanism by means of which the slide-bar7 is reciprocatedconsists of a shifting lever 17, which is fulcrumed at its upper end onthe post 2 and has its lower free end connected by means of a pivotallink 18 with the slide-bar 7, as shown. At an intermediate point in itslength the shifting lever 17 connects pivotally with one end of aconnecting-bar 19, the opposite end of which is mounted upon the freeend of a crank-arm 20 at one end of a crank-shaft 21, which is journaledin hearings in a pair of oppositelyarranged parallel bars 22, extendinghorizontally between the posts 1 and 2 and firmly secured to oppositesides thereof,s0 as to leave an intervening space. The crank-shaft 21 isprovided upon the end opposite the crank 20 with a spur-pinion 23, whichis engaged and operated by a spur-wheel 24:, fast on a coun tor-shaft25, also journaled in hearings in the bars 22 and having fast thereonbetween said bars 22 a ratchet-wheel 26, which is operated by means of apawl 27, pivotally mounted upon a pawl-carrying arm 28, journaled on theshaft 25 between the bars 22. c The outer free end of the pawl-carryingarm 28 is connected by means of pivotal links 29 with the inner adjacentends of a pair of operatinglevers 30, fulcrumed intermediate their endsat 31 upon the posts 1 and 2 and having at their outer ends handles 32,which may be grasped by the person riding in a vehicle or on horsebackand pulled downward for correspondingly raising the inner adjacentlevers and operating the gate-operating mechanism.

34- designates a detent which engages with the wheel 2 for preventingretrograde movev ment of the ratchet-wheel shaft, and consequently ofthe crankshaft.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that when either one ofthe operatinglevers is moved or drawn downward at its outer end itsinner end in moving upward will vibrate the pawl-carrying arm 28, cansing the pawl 27 to partially rotate the ratchetwheel 26 and shaft 25 andthrough the medium of the gears 24: and 23 partially turn the crank-shaft 21. The parts are so proportioned and related that the crank 20will be turned through approximately a half-circle. In this movement ofthe crank-arm the shifting lever 17 will be vibrated through the mediumof the connecting-bar 19, and by reason of its linked connection withthe slide-bar the latter will be moved in one direction or the other.When one of the operating-levers is again depressed, the crank-arm 20will be carried through the remainder of its revolution and the shiftinglever 17 will be vibrated in the direction opposite to that j ustdescribed, causingtheslide-barto be moved also in the oppositedirection. It will thus be seen that precisely the same means areemployed for opening the gate as for closing the same. It will also beapparent that no small or delicate parts are employed in connection withtheoperating mechanism, and said mechanism is thus not liable to get outof order and require frequent repairing. It matters not how high or howlow the gate itself may be set the operating mechanism will be just aseffective in one position as in another. In order to insure the raisingof the outer ends of the operating-levers 30 and the correspondingdepression of the inner ends thereof, springs 33 may be employed, suchsprings being secured at one end of the posts 1 and 2 and bearingattheir opposite or free ends beneath and against theoutwardly-extending longer arms of the lever 30, the tension of saidsprings being exerted in an upward direction. The operating mechanism ispositive in action, serving to force the gate all the way shut or allthe way open, and therefore does not depend upon gravity or auxiliarysprings to complete the movement 634,810 1 V Y a of the gate in openingand closing which has been started by the operating mechanism.

The mechanism described and illustrated in the drawings is simple,effective, durable, 5' and reliable and maybe manufactured at a smallcost and set up at a price which will make it available for farmingpurposes and .bring it readily within the means of the or I dinaryfarmer. [O From the foregoing it is thought that the construction,operation, and many. advantages of the herein-described gate will beapparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and itwill be understood '15 that changes in the size, shape, proportion,

and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departingfrom the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. 1

-Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure byLetters Patent, is-

l. The combination with a gate, of aslidebar operatively connectedthereto for opening and closing the gate, and ratchet-controlledmechanism for reciprocating said slide-bar.

' 2. The combination with a hinged gate, of a reciprocating slide baroperatively connected thereto for opening and closing the 0 same, ashifting lever operatively connected to said slide-bar,andratchet-controlled mechanism for operating said shifting lever.

3. The combination with a hinged gate, of

a reciprocating slide-bar, working in a plane 3 5 parallel to theroadway, connections between said slide-bar and gate, a shifting leveroperatively connected to said slide-bar, a cranlc shaft foroperatingsaid shifting lever, and operating-levers having connection with said 40crank-shaft.

4. The combination with a hinged gate, of a reciprocating slide baroperatively connected thereto and operating in a plane parallel to theroadway, and ratchet-controlled mechanism for reciprocating saidslide-bar.

5. The combination with a hinged gate, of a reciprocating slide-bar,operatively connected thereto and working in a plane substantiallyparallel to the roadway, a crank-- shaft, connections between saidcrank-shaft allel bars connecting said posts, a crankand the slidingbar, an operating-lever and engaging the ratchet-wheel, operating-leversextending in opposite directions, and connections between saidoperating-levers and pawl-carrying arm. 7

'7. The combination withahinged gate havin g a laterally-projecting arm,of a slide-bar movable in a plane parallelto the roadway and having alinked connection with said lateral arm, and ratchet-controlledmechanism for reciprocating said slide-bar, substan- 7o tially asdescribed.

8. The combination with a hinged gate having a lateral arm, of aslide-bar having a linked connection with said arm, distantlylocatedposts upon which said bar slides, parshaft journaled in said bars,connections between said crank shaft and slide-bar, operating-levers,and connections between said leversand crank-shaft, whereby thecrankshaft may be partially and intermittently rotated, substantially asdescribed.

9. Thecombination with a hinged gate, of a slide-bar moving in a planeparallel to the roadway, operative connections between said slide-barand gate, a crank-shaft, connec* 'tions between said crank-shaft, andslide-bar, a counter-shaft parallel to said crank-shaft, intertneshinggears on said shafts, an operating-lever, connections between said leverand counter-shaft for turning the latter, and a detent for preventingretrograde movement thereof, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' NOAH EARLY, JR.

lVitnesses:

W. W. W001), W. L. BOLEAN. I

